The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)® is open for entries through March 19, 2018 and features some major changes. “One of the world’s most prestigious and rigorous design competitions is moving into its 38th year revitalized and energized,” declares IDEA 2018 Jury Chair Michael Kahwaji, IDSA, of Whirlpool Corp.
The 2018 jury boasts nearly three dozen experts from some of the world’s largest brands such as Google, Microsoft, Nike, Dolby Laboratories, Delta Faucet, REI, Targus, Stryker and Cartoon Network; major design studios including Whipsaw, fuseproject, Ammunition, HS Design and Metaphase; and leading universities. Bringing a global perspective to the competition as respected leaders in their fields, jurors originally hail from countries such as Canada, China, Germany, Guatemala, New Zealand, Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States. Some are former IDEA winners who know just what it takes to get to the top.
IDEA has been rebranded including the redesign of its trophies with the help of fuseproject—the design studio founded by longtime IDSA member Yves Béhar. “For anyone who is a maker, who is building something, it’s the ultimate achievement to win an IDEA,” he says. “IDEA is the award by designers, for designers. Fuseproject worked with IDSA to rebrand IDEA and redesign the trophy to reflect the evolving industry it celebrates.”
20 IDEA categories include three new ones: Home, which now includes Kitchen; Furniture & Lightning, which now includes Outdoor Furniture; and Lifestyle & Accessories, formerly named Personal Accessories. The Branding and Consumer Technology categories were added in 2017.
IDEA winners are featured in INNOVATION magazine’s Yearbook of Design Excellence, the IDEA Gallery and in global media outreach.
Read 10 Tips to Win IDEA 2018.